Valve announced 2025 Steam Awards winners on January 3, 2026, with Hollow Knight: Silksong claiming both Game of the Year and Best Game You Suck At awards. The community-voted results concluded during Steam's Winter Sale after two weeks of final voting, according to PC Gamer and XDA Developers.
Hollow Knight: Silksong defeated Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for top honors, reversing December's Game Awards where Expedition 33 dominated. Steam users selected Silksong despite Expedition 33 winning Best Soundtrack in both ceremonies, ScreenRant reported. The outcome marks a significant divergence between community and industry preferences.
The 2025 Steam Awards featured 11 categories determined through two voting rounds starting in November. Final voting concluded on January 3, 2026, with millions participating, according to multiple sources. Categories ranged from VR Game of the Year to Sit Back and Relax, reflecting Valve's platform-specific focus.
Other winners include Hades 2 for Best Game on Steam Deck and Baldur's Gate 3 for Labor of Love. ARC Raiders claimed Most Innovative Gameplay while The Midnight Walk won VR Game of the Year, according to multiple publications. Multiplayer titles Peak and RV There Yet? secured Better With Friends and Sit Back and Relax awards.
Hollow Knight: Silksong was the only game to win two awards at the 2025 Steam Awards. Developer Team Cherry announced free "Sea of Sorrow" expansion content for 2026, adding new weapons and areas, Game Rant reported. The DLC continues support for the critically acclaimed sequel.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 developer Sandfall Interactive released a free "Thank You Update" following The Game Awards. The update adds endgame challenges despite the game missing Steam's top honor, maintaining player engagement into 2026.
The Steam Awards results highlight differences between community voting and industry panel decisions. Valve's platform-specific categories like Best Game on Steam Deck reflect actual gaming habits rather than traditional award show metrics, according to analysis from multiple gaming publications.
Hades 2 maintains a 95-96% overwhelmingly positive rating on Steam according to Game Rant. Baldur's Gate 3's Labor of Love win recognizes Larian Studios' ongoing support since its 2023 launch. ARC Raiders averages over 400,000 active players since debut, justifying its Most Innovative Gameplay award.
Valve's annual awards program provides a community-driven counterpoint to December's Game Awards. The results indicate which 2025 releases resonated most with Steam's global player base as the platform prepares for 2026 releases and expansions.
